A lottery is a game in which prizes are awarded by chance to people who buy tickets. Typically, the prizes are money or goods. Some lotteries are run by state governments to raise funds for a particular purpose. Others are run by private companies to promote their products or services. Historically, the lottery was used as an alternative to direct taxation or sales taxes for raising revenue. Many people have won large sums of money in the lottery. The first modern state lottery was established in New Hampshire in 1964. Other states followed quickly. Since then, lottery revenues have grown dramatically.

Often, the proceeds from lottery games are devoted to state education, health, and other public programs. Many people believe that this is a good use of public money. But the evidence is mixed and, in some cases, state officials have misused the money. The most popular lotteries are state-run games. In these, the prize money is a percentage of ticket sales. The profits for the organizer and the costs of promotion are deducted from this pool. Ideally, the remaining prize money is distributed fairly to winners in proportion to their purchases.

In addition to the state-run games, there are privately sponsored lotteries, which have been held for centuries. Benjamin Franklin proposed a lottery to raise funds for cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British during the American Revolution. In the 19th century, private lotteries were common in the United States as a way to sell property or merchandise for more money than could be obtained in a regular sale. Privately sponsored lotteries were also used to select juries.

The most common type of lottery is a state-run game in which the winnings are cash or goods. This type of lottery is also known as a state lottery, a multistate lottery, or a national lottery. The prizes are usually a combination of a single large prize and a number of smaller ones. Typically, the prize money is a percentage of the total ticket sales, but sometimes the prize amount is fixed before the draw.

Regardless of the size of the jackpot, lotteries are widely popular with the general public. Most states with lotteries report that the majority of their citizens play the games at least once a year. In addition to the general public, the lotteries develop extensive specific constituencies: convenience store operators (whose employees are often lotto sellers); lottery suppliers (whose heavy contributions to state political campaigns are regularly reported); teachers (in those states in which most of the revenues are earmarked for education); and state legislators (who rapidly become accustomed to the extra revenue). These interests have helped to shape the ways in which the lotteries operate. They have also shaped the messages they convey. One of the major messages is that playing the lottery is fun and that you should try your luck. This message obscures the regressivity of the lottery and leads many people to spend a significant share of their incomes on tickets.